10 firefighters die in wildfires in central Türkiye

Ten firefighters died and 14 others were injured Wednesday when trying to extinguish a forest fire in Türkiye's central province of Eskisehir, reported Xinhua.

"We lost 10 lives, five forest workers and five Search and Rescue Association volunteers," Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on social media platform X.

Yerlikaya said the 14 injured are currently in hospital for treatment.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed sorrow over the loss and promised compensation for their families.

Firefighting teams were working on Wednesday to extinguish flames in the western and central provinces of Sakarya, Antalya, Eskisehir, Bilecik and Denizli, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported earlier in the day.

Türkiye's Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli on Wednesday told reporters that the total number of fires since the beginning of the year has exceeded 4,000, with 1,728 occurring in forested areas. He warned of the growing threat of these fires as temperatures soar across the country.